Mastercard is launching a new version of SpendingPulse™ for Brazil. SpendingPulse™ is a platform that provides estimates and insights into retail sales activities at national, regional, and local levels. Using aggregated and anonymized data from Mastercard and models representing all types of payments, the platform helps businesses improve performance based on macroeconomic indicators. For the relaunch in Brazil, there will be breakdowns by regions and more than 50 mesoregions in the Southern and Southeastern states.
Available to clients in 19 countries worldwide, the platform provides daily information on consumer spending across various retail and service segments, such as supermarkets, electronics, apparel, restaurants, and lodging. On average, SpendingPulse captured 1.2 billion transactions per month and represented R$ 3.4 trillion in retail sales in 2024. Clients who acquire SpendingPulse can access an interactive platform with key indicators and a detailed monthly report. The exclusive insights into consumer spending and the expertise of leading economists provide a comprehensive view of consumption trends, aiding strategic decisions for businesses, analysts, and policymakers.
According to Gustavo Arruda, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) at the Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI), the platform uses advanced models that anonymously consider both online and in-store retail activities. ‘SpendingPulse™ offers clients a better understanding of Brazilian consumers’ spending habits in essential and non-essential purchases, allowing them to align their operational strategies with the identified changes,’ he commented.
Retail sales in April 2025
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, total retail sales in Brazil increased by 10.9% in April compared to the same period last year. The top-performing sectors for the month included lodging (21.4%), supermarkets (17.2%), and appliances (16.7%), all showing double-digit growth year-over-year. The Easter holiday partly explains the strong annual performance.
As explained by Gustavo, the strong performance of the state of Santa Catarina (21.1%), followed by Rio Grande do Sul (17.9%), helps explain part of the overall performance. In the sectoral breakdown, the food sector showed significant results across the board.
In the case of food, the results show regional differences. While the states of Santa Catarina (26.6%), Espírito Santo (23.0%), and Rio Grande do Sul (19.7%) led the results, Brasília (13.3%), Pernambuco (13.0%), and Maranhão (13.0%) balanced out the performance.
Gustavo also mentioned that the results reflect different price dynamics. According to IBGE, overall inflation in retail is around 6.2%, with supermarket prices at 6.5% on an annual basis.